The Chess Emporium

Spring Road to Nationals – Nationals Prep w/ Coaches Paul Kanis & Ben Vinyard

Prepare for the K–12 Nationals (March 27–29, 2026 – Chicago, IL) and K–8 Nationals (May 15–17, 2026 – Round Rock, TX) with a structured training program led by Coach Paul Kanis (USCF 1996) and Coach Ben Vinyard (USCF 1859).

This class is intended for rated tournament players and students who are Knight level or above in PCC classes, or who have completed our past Supergroups.

Schedule & Tuition

• Days: Mondays & Wednesdays
• Time: 5:30–7:30 PM
• Length: 10 weeks
• Price: $429
• Mondays: Weekly structured lessons (2 hours)
• Wednesdays: USCF-rated games plus full game review (students receive or improve their national rating)
• Schedule: Mondays – Jan 12, 19, 26; Feb 2, 9, 16, 23; Mar 2, 9, 23
  Wednesdays – Jan 14, 21, 28; Feb 4, 11, 18, 25; Mar 4, 11, 25
• No class: March 16 & March 18

Students receive 40 total hours of instruction, training games, and analysis.

Why Join?

• Build disciplined thinking across all phases of the game
• Develop tactical accuracy and strategic planning
• Strengthen endgame fundamentals
• Practice real USCF-rated games under coaching supervision
• Learn tournament psychology and handling pressure
• Perfect for players preparing for major fall or winter events

Many past Road to Nationals students have achieved top-20 national finishes, with several becoming National Champions in their sections.

Road to Nationals – Curriculum (Monday 5:30–7:30)

Date	Hour with Coach Paul Kanis	Hour with Coach Ben Vinyard
1/12	Pawn Endgames	Tournament Psychology
1/19	Knight Endgames	How to Spot Tactics in Your Games
1/26	Opposite-Color Bishop Endgames	King and Pawn Endgame
2/2	Same-Color Bishop Endgames	Rules of Attack
2/9	Rook vs. Pawn Endgames	Rook and Pawn Endgame
2/16	Rook Endgames I	Common Opening Traps
2/23	Rook Endgames II	Three Questions of Strategy
3/2	Rook Endgames III	Queen and Pawn Endgame
3/9	Rook Endgames IV	Minor Piece Endgame
3/16	No Class
3/23	Queen Endgames	Draw Techniques – Fortresses

* All endgame strategy lessons with Coach Paul are based on Dvoretsky’s Endgame Manual.

Road to Nationals – Curriculum (Wednesday 5:30–7:30)

Date	1st Hour	2nd Hour
1/14–3/25	USCF Rated Game (G/25 with 5-second delay)	Game Review & Analysis

For enrollment, please call the Chess Emporium staff at 602-482-4867 or email us at kids@chessemporium.com.

For questions about course content or curriculum, please call Coach Paul at 602-620-0890 or email at pkanis@chessemporium.com.